Tottenham Hotspur appeared to be finally back on track after a hard-fought draw with Manchester United and a 2-0 win over West Ham.
Spurs then picked up their first victory in eight games by beating West Ham at home (BBC). However, Jose Mourinho’s side seem to have undone all of that hard work after they lost 3-1 to Premier League newcomers Sheffield United last night.
Spurs don’t seem to have any issues finding the back of the net, although Harry Kane’s first half strike was controversially ruled out by VAR because Lucas Moura was deemed to have handled the ball in the build-up. Kane somewhat made amends later on as he scored in the closing stages of the game, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.
Tottenham’s biggest problem was exposed for all to see during the defeat to the Blades. The Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun all season, as Mourinho’s men have conceded more goals than Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool so far.
After Leicester and Chelsea lost, it was a prime opportunity for Spurs to pounce and make up some ground on the top four. Instead, they dropped points against a team who had only scored once in their previous four fixtures prior to the game at Bramall Lane.
Will Spurs miss out on the top four?
Yes
No
Mourinho stuck with the same back four that lined up against the Red Devils and the Hammers. Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen watched from the sidelines, although Vertonghen was called into action towards the end of the second half.
The Portuguese seems to have settled on Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier as his preferred pairing in the heart of the defence. However, Dier didn’t stick with Lys Mousset for his goal as he coolly finished past Hugo Lloris.
Spurs have scored 51 times in the Premier League this season but once again they have been let down by conceding many preventable goals.
As it stands, Tottenham are currently ninth in the table, nine points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. The Lilywhites will no doubt be aware they face an uphill struggle if they are to qualify for the Champions League, with only six games remaining to make up the deficit.
Time is quickly running out for Mourinho to make any further adjustments if he wants to plug the gaps in a leaky defence.
Tottenham fans, do you think Spurs can reach the top four? Let us know in the comments below!
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